That wasn’t just the rustle of leaves. It was a person.
‘Psst! Sarah!’
I swung around to see Will peering out from behind a tree.
‘Christ, Will. You scared me to death. What are you doing?’
‘What are you doing, more to the point. He didn’t fire you then?’
‘No.’ I felt heat suffuse my cheeks. Was it going to be obvious to him that Jasper and I were lovers now?
‘Oh my God, he’s shagging you.’
Apparently it was.
‘Will …’
‘He is, isn’t he? The dirty sod. Are you into all that, then? All his kinky games?’
‘Will, shut up. Why are you here?’
‘I’ve come to see you. But obviously you aren’t interested, now you’ve got hot-shot film director into bed.’
‘It’s not like that.’
‘What is it like then?’
I gazed into his bullish, hostile face and wondered what I ever saw in him, beyond a salve for my loneliness. He was good-looking enough but he was boring underneath, and unimaginative. It wasn’t as if we’d been consumed with deathless passion, was it? It was just pointless, time-filling sex. Why did he feel he had this claim on me?
‘It’s none of your business,’ I said. ‘Jasper and I … we like each other. That’s all.’
‘God, listen to her. “Jasper and I”. You sound like the Queen.’
‘Look, you have to go. I’m meeting him. He’s at the lake. If he sees you here …’
‘I can’t believe you’d just dump me like this. For him! After what he did to me.’
‘I’m sorry he sacked you, but …’ I raised my hands in supplication. There was really nothing more to be said.
‘Yeah, sorry, are you? Right. Well, you might not be now, but you will be. Both of you.’
‘Oh, stop making vague threats and bugger off. Or I will go and tell Jasper you’re here, and I don’t think you’d want that.’
‘Oh, lovely,’ he said, bearing down on me, his eyes so tight and mean. ‘What a charmer. I know how to pick ’em, don’t I? Never mind, Sarah, Jasper can do what he wants with you. I hope it’s painful. I’m sure it will be. Fuck you.’
I had taken several steps backwards in alarm, but he didn’t try to touch me, simply stormed off through the undergrowth with a tremendous rustle and crackle.
I stood for a moment, stalled by dismay, all my joyful, lustful anticipation of the day’s delights forgotten.
Should I do something about this? Tell Jasper?
But I decided against it. I didn’t want anything to overshadow our picnic, and Will was just an unwelcome intruder from real life who had gone and would not be back. I stepped out of the shade, into the sun, back into my fantasy-made-flesh.
From the top of the slope I could see Jasper, sitting on a picnic blanket in a white linen shirt and light trousers, reading a
book. A basket stood beside him.
I took some time to just look at him, let the sight of him fill me up, colouring in that greyness of spirit Will had left behind. I took a deep breath and began to walk down.